“No,” he said, his smile dropping from his face. “This is how I seduce you.”
She glanced up at him, hearing the sincerity in his words.
“I don’t like when we’re at odds,” he continued.
“So the plan is to kiss me until I’m comfortable?”
The boyish grin was back. “Did it work?”
To her surprise it had. He’d done what she’d been thinking about all day, and it stabilized her equilibrium. It assured her last night had not destroyed the growing intimacy between them, hadn’t irrevocably altered their relationship.
Her teasing, charming wolf was back.
Biting back her own smile, she closed the distance between them and balanced herself with a hand on his crossed arms. Rising on tiptoe, she stopped when her mouth was a breath away from him.
“Poor wolf,” she whispered. “Wanting what you can’t have.”
She danced away when he tried to reach for her. “Be good,” she chided. “I have work to do.”
Kieran’s warm chuckle followed her as she headed for the door.
“All work and no play makes Chloe a dull girl,” he called.
Might be true, she thought, her lips curving. Even so, there was no hiding from the fact that in a few days they’d be away from the city and far from any thoughts of work.
Alone in the woods with a tempting werewolf. She wasn’t sure if the thought worried or excited her.
Chapter Thirteen
“Where’s your wolfish arm candy?” Jessica asked, her arms full of a Fated Match banner.
“He’s meeting me here later,” Chloe said. “He’s been working late these past few days to offset what he’ll miss when we’re away.”
“A retreat to the woods,” the succubus sighed. “Romantic.”
“Need a hand with the banner?”
“Please.”
Holding out her hands, Chloe let her magic flow around the pink and white paper. The banner floated into place over the bar, it’s ties knotting automatically to the ceiling hooks.
“All right?” she asked.
“Looks good.”
Chloe dropped her hands as the banner unfurled to read, Singles Mixer by Fated Match.
“We’re fully booked. It should be a good night,” Jessica said, glancing at their sign-up sheet. “Kieran’s appearance will help with word of mouth, too. Thanks for roping him into this.”
“Didn’t take much convincing at all.” Indeed, Kieran had tried to be as helpful as possible, even when she made him practice all her friend’s names on endless repeat. He had, for all intents and purposes, been a model boyfriend this week. Though he did make use of any opportunity to pull her close for a kiss or a caress. If she wasn’t careful she’d get used to the happy smiles that greeted her arrival in a room, or the light pecks that accompanied her departure in the mornings.
“Problem,” Tasha said as she walked into the room. “The bartender is out of O neg.”
“Drat,” Jessica murmured. “We’ll have to have someone do a blood run. We’ve got at least ten vamps on the guest list, and that’s the most popular blood type.”
“No worries. I’m calling Melissa right now,” Abbey said, trailing Tasha. “She can grab some on her way over with Tarian.”
“A vamp and a necromancer. I still can’t believe they’re mates,” Tasha said.
“Stranger than a human and a vampire elder?” Abbey teased.
“Or a witch and an alpha wolf?” Jessica put in.
Tasha sighed. “Well, when you put it that way.”
Jessica slung her arm over Chloe’s shoulder. “See? You and your weird relationship are in excellent keeping. Fated Match seems to breed them.”
“If everything is in place I’m going to open the doors. Members will be descending on us any minute,” Abbey said.
True to her prediction, at exactly eight o’clock the first guests arrived. Chloe moved into place by the door, greeting the members as they came in. Usually Vivian handled this particular job but she was running late. Besides, with any luck, Chloe would be in charge of the agency in a few months. She’d be doing this all the time.
The thought brought a real smile to her face. The drama with Kieran sometimes made her lose sight of the bigger picture. She wanted this agency that brought people from all walks of life together. Making families answered a calling within her she couldn’t describe.
Behind her, she could hear her teammates mingling with the singles, easing their way and making appropriate introductions. Supernaturals rarely had evenings like this, where they could be exactly who they were without fear of prying human eyes.